Timing belt DAYCO or Gates

So, a bit more longevity that actually holds up to the OE change interval with the conti belts is a plus.

Well guys.... Heres a little update. It was a bad water pump. Real bad. The car just rolled over on 145k. The original owner never had the original timing belt and water pump replaced. After taking everything apart, I realized how lucky I was that the pump was the only thing to go. The belt was severely cracking.

It is still a really great product that will last longer than an ordinary belt.

Never heard of them before, but I just installed a Gates Racing (blue) timing belt on my 2.8L Passat.

Well to clarify. I just bought a belt from the dealer and it is a gates. So if your belt looks pretty beat up then its stock. I would change it asap as others sugested. Its cheaper in the long run.

They haven't been out long enough to give concrete evidence. I will say that RAI's clearly reselling a belt made elsewhere so who knows what you're getting and Gates has a long track record for selling pretty tough belts.

All done! Timing belt, TB tensioner, idler, water pump and expansion tank are changed and coolant flushed. I forgot to do thermostat, but it was not necessity but rather preventive.

Mine goes naked, too. I got the fancy replacement kit from a vendor that supplied a pretty blue Gates belt. After I got it all together and running for a while I read of the horrors of Gates belts and the carnage that comes with failure. So, it goes naked and gets a look over each time the hood is open. That my reasoning.

Bumping this necro-thread to add my review for anyone searching the archives. Bought the ultimate plus with Gates belt kit. Car started rattling like a diesel last night. Quick inspection shows a loose timing belt, hydraulic fluid everywhere and a dead tensioner. Total mileage since install 28,225 and less than two years (21 months). I was lucky to have caught it before it jumped teeth and pistons met valve train. Just wanted to caution people to pay attention to the warning signs. If your car sounds like a diesel or a spray bomb being shaken, take a quick look under the timing belt cover and replace what you need to before driving any further...

So my gates racing belt snapped. This is the reason i bought gates so my t belt wouldnt break, 40 miles after valves were replaced t belt breaks. Fantastic. They have great QC. Just kidding. There had to have been a flaw, the way it broke